Medical Terminology - Endocrine System

afferent

Carry or move inward or toward a central structure

blood–brain barrier

Protective mechanism that blocks specific substances found in the bloodstream from entering delicate brain tissue

efferent

Carry or move away from a central structure

limbic system

Complex neural system located beneath the cerebrum that controls basic emotions and drives and plays an important role in memory

neurilemma

Additional external myelin sheath that is formed by Schwann cells and found only on axons in the peripheral nervous system

ventricle

Organ chamber or cavity that receives or holds fluid

Sympathetic Division

“Fight, Flight, or Freeze” mode

Parasympathetic Division

Calming down

cerebr/o

cerebrum

crani/o

cranium

encephal/o

brain

gangli/o

ganglion (knot or knotlike mass)

gli/o

glue; neuroglial tissue

kinesi/o

movement

lept/o

thin, slender

lex/o

word, phrase

mening/o

meningi/o

meninges (membranes covering the brain and spinal cord)

myel/o

bone marrow; spinal cord

narc/o

stupor; numbness; sleep

neur/o

nerve

radicul/o

nerve root

sthen/o

strength

thalam/o

thalamus

thec/o

sheath (usually referring to the meninges)

ton/o

tension

ventricul/o

ventricle (of the heart or brain)

-algesia

-algia

pain

-asthenia

weakness, debility

-esthesia

feeling

-kinesia

movement

-lepsy

seizure

-paresis

partial paralysis

-phasia

speech

-plegia

paralysis

-taxia

order, coordination

pachy-

thick

para-

near, beside; beyond

syn-

union, together, joined

affective disorder

Psychological disorder in which the major characteristic is an abnormal mood, usually mania or depression

anorexia nervosa

Eating disorder characterized by a refusal to maintain adequate weight for age and height and an all-consuming desire to remain thin

anxiety

Psychological “worry” disorder characterized by excessive pondering or thinking “what if…”

Feelings of worry, dread, lack of energy, and a loss of interest in life are common signs associated with anxiety.

attention deficit-hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

Disorder affecting children and adults and characterized by impulsiveness, overactivity, and the inability to remain focused on a task

Behavioral modification with or without medical management is commonly used in the treatment of ADHD.

autism

Developmental disorder characterized by extreme withdrawal and an abnormal absorption in fantasy, usually accompanied by an inability to communicate even on a basic level

A person with autism may engage in repetitive behavior, such as rocking or repeating words.

bipolar disorder

Mental disorder that causes unusual shifts in mood, emotion, energy, and the ability to function; also called manic-depressive illness

bulimia nervosa

Eating disorder characterized by binging (overeating) and purging (vomiting or use of laxatives)

depression

Mood disorder associated with sadness, despair, discouragement and, commonly, feelings of low self-esteem, guilt, and withdrawal

mania

Mood disorder characterized by mental and physical hyperactivity, disorganized behavior, and excessively elevated mood

neurosis

Nonpsychotic mental illness that triggers feelings of distress and anxiety and impairs normal behavior

panic attack

Sudden, intense feeling of fear that comes without warning and is not attributable to any immediate danger

psychosis

Major emotional disorder in which contact with reality is lost to the point that the individual is incapable of meeting the challenges of daily life

agnosia

Inability to comprehend auditory, visual, spatial, olfactory, or other sensations, even though the sensory sphere is intact

Alzheimer disease

Type of age-associated dementia caused by small lesions called plaques that develop in the cerebral cortex and interrupt the passage of electrochemical signals between cells; also called cerebral degeneration

anencephaly

Congenital deformity in which some or all of the fetal brain is missing

closed head trauma

Injury to the head in which the dura mater remains intact and brain tissue is not exposed

coma

Abnormally deep unconsciousness with an absence of voluntary response to stimuli

concussion

Traumatic injury to the brain that causes unconsciousness and is commonly of a temporary nature

convulsion

Any sudden and violent contraction of one or more voluntary muscles that is commonly associated with such brain disorders as epilepsy

dementia

Broad term that refers to cognitive deficit, including memory impairment

dyslexia

Inability to learn and process written language, despite adequate intelligence, sensory ability, and exposure

Guillain-Barré syndrome

Autoimmune condition that causes acute inflammation of the peripheral nerves damaging their myelin sheaths, resulting in decreased nerve impulses, loss of reflex response, and sudden muscle weakness; also called infective or idiopathic polyneuritis

herpes zoster

Acute inflammatory eruption of highly painful vesicles on the trunk of the body or, occasionally, the face that is caused by the same virus that causes chickenpox; also called shingles

Huntington chorea

CNS disorder characterized by quick, involuntary movements, speech disturbances, and mental deterioration; also called neurodegenerative genetic disorder

hydrocephalus

Accumulation of fluid in the ventricles of the brain, causing increased intracranial pressure (ICP), thinning of brain tissue, and separation of cranial bones

lethargy

Abnormal inactivity or lack of response to normal stimuli

myasthenia gravis (MG)

Chronic, progressive disorder in which a loss of neurotransmitter receptors produces increasingly severe muscle weakness

spina bifida

Congenital deformity of the neural tube (embryonic structure that becomes the fetal brain and spinal cord), which fails to close during fetal development; also called neural tube defect

meningocele

Form of spina bifida in which the spinal cord develops properly but the meninges protrude through the spine

myelomeningocele

Most severe form of spina bifida in which the spinal cord and meninges protrude through the spine

occulta

Form of spina bifida in which one or more vertebrae are malformed, and the spinal cord is covered with a layer of skin

palsy

bell palsy

Paralysis, usually partial, and commonly characterized by weakness and shaking or uncontrolled tremor

Facial paralysis caused by a functional disorder of the seventh cranial nerve; also called facial nerve palsy

cerebral palsy (CP)

Type of paralysis that affects movement and muscle coordination and may affect gross and fine motor skills

paralysis

Loss of voluntary motion in one or more muscle groups with or without loss of sensation

paresthesia

Sensation of numbness, prickling, tingling, or heightened sensitivity

Parkinson disease

Degenerative disorder in which the progressive loss of brain cells leads to impairment in motor function, including tremors, muscular rigidity, and a slowing of movement; also called paralysis agitans or shaking palsy

poliomyelitis

Inflammation of the gray matter of the spinal cord caused by a virus, commonly resulting in spinal and muscle deformity and paralysis

radiculopathy

Disorder affecting one or more nerves at the location where the nerve root exits the spine and commonly the result of a herniated or compressed disk, degenerative changes, arthritis, or bone spurs; also called radiculitis

Reye syndrome

Potentially fatal syndrome that commonly causes brain swelling and liver damage and is characterized by confusion, hyperventilation, violent behavior, seizures, and possibly coma; also called acute noninflammatory encephalopathy and fatty degenerative liver failure

syncope

Brief loss of consciousness and posture caused by a temporary decrease of blood flow to the brain; also called fainting

electroencephalography (EEG)

Recording of electrical activity in the brain, whose cells emit distinct patterns of rhythmic electrical impulses

electromyography (EMG)

Recording of electrical signals (action potentials) that occur in a muscle when it is at rest and during contraction to assess muscular disease or nerve damage

lumbar puncture (LP)

Needle puncture of the spinal cavity to extract spinal fluid for diagnostic purposes, introduce anesthetic agents into the spinal canal, or remove fluid to allow other fluids (such as radiopaque substances) to be injected; also called spinal puncture and spinal tap

nerve conduction velocity (NCV)

Test that measures the speed at which impulses travel through a nerve

cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis

Laboratory test to examine a sample of the fluid surrounding the brain and spinal cord that helps diagnose disorders of the central nervous system, including viral and bacterial infections, tumors, and hemorrhage

computed tomography angiography (CTA, CT angiography)

Radiographic image of the interior of a vessel in combination with a CT scan to produce high-resolution, three-dimensional images of blood vessels

discography

CT scan of the lumbar region after injection of a contrast medium to detect problems with the spine and spinal nerve roots

echoencephalography

Ultrasound technique used to study intracranial structures of the brain and diagnose conditions that cause a shift in the midline structures of the brain

magnetic source imaging (MSI)

Noninvasive neuroimaging technique to pinpoint the specific location where seizure activity originates and enable custom surgical treatment for tumor and epileptic tissue resection; also called magnetoencephalography (MEG)

myelography

Radiographic examination to detect pathology of the spinal cord, including the location of a spinal cord injury, cysts, and tumors following injection of a contrast medium

positron emission tomography (PET)

Computed tomography that records the positrons (positively charged particles) emitted from a radiopharmaceutical and produces a cross-sectional image of metabolic activity of body tissues to determine the presence of disease

cryosurgery

Technique that exposes abnormal tissue to extreme cold to destroy it

thalamotomy

Partial destruction of the thalamus to treat intractable pain; involuntary movements, including tremors in Parkinson disease; or emotional disturbances

tractotomy

Transection of a nerve tract in the brainstem or spinal cord

trephination

Technique that cuts a circular opening into the skull to reveal brain tissue and decrease intracranial pressure

ventriculoperitoneal shunting

Relieves intracranial pressure due to hydrocephalus by diverting (shunting) excess cerebrospinal fluid from the ventricles into the peritoneal or thoracic cavity

intravenous (IV) tissue plasminogen activator (tPA)

Treatment for ischemic stroke using tissue plasminogen activator (tPA), a potent clot-busting drug, injected directly into a vein

plasmapheresis

Extracorporeal procedure to treat patients with autoimmune diseases by removing their plasma containing the offending antibodies and replacing it with donor plasma or plasma substitutes

stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS)

Procedure that uses three-dimensional imaging (stereotactic) along with high doses of highly focused radiation to destroy tumors and other abnormal growths in the brain, spinal column, and other body sites with minimal exposure to surrounding healthy tissue

anesthetics

Produce partial or complete loss of sensation, with or without loss of consciousness

Forms of anesthetics include general, local, and nerve block.

general anesthetics

Act upon the brain to produce complete loss of feeling with loss of consciousness

• propofol

• diprivan

local anesthetics

Act upon nerves or nerve tracts to affect only a local area

• procaine

• lidocaine

like epidural